Thursday, September 27, 2012

A strange way to start my story of Portland, and Seattle, this bathtub was beautiful. It seemed that everywhere I turned out there, there was an appreciation for the old, vintage, and antique. People appreciated and reused things that would normally be thrown away, discarded, or forgotten in a garage forever. While I loved both cities, Portland felt like an amazing place for me. If I did not have my whole family, a house, a life, and everything on the east coast I would consider going out there.

"The city of Roses" besides the real ones, there were roses everywhere you looked in Portland

...And food trucks...

Mount Rainer... Breathtaking! We found the perfect pumpkin patch to view this brilliant piece of nature.

Pike Place Market, in Seattle. I could not get over the freshness of the vegetables and the quality of the flowers. The colors looked like a fresh box of crayons, so many and so plentiful.

An artist in Seattle Knitted this whole house! Including the trees and columns out front. It is located in the Capital Hill district, amongst all the other houses.

While I was out there I visited some fabric stores, picked up close to 80 new patterns to work with!! I had to clean off some shelves to store it all. I saw the Chihuly garden and walked around taking in all the colors, sights, and the energy of the cities. It was a peaceful time, and breathtaking at moments. As Sandra put it, "the trees out here have eyes and faces..." It seemed so, everywhere I turned I felt as the trees, and leaves, and nature out there had so much to offer. The only word I could use to summarize standing amongst it, breathtaking.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Seattle and Portland were stunning... We did so much in such a short amount of time, that it feels like a whirlwind to be home already. I took a lot of photos, and am working on posting about the trip, until then here is a little preview... Beautiful.

Monday, September 10, 2012

I have a bucket list of places that I want to go, explore, visit, and this week I will be crossing two off the list! I can't wait to explore Portland, and Seattle, the only problem may be that I will not want to return. I have a feeling that these two cities will be very much my kind of places. One of my favorite ways to see a new place is to not have a lot planned, just get there and explore, and that is exactly how we are going to do it.

Will be back next week, with reports of the visit and photos to share.

I finally had some time this morning to make up some of these coffins. They do not move along as fast as the hexagons, but they are just as satisfying to make! I am in love with the crazy witch with the veil. The paper piecing is really working nicely for me. It has been a long time since I was first introduced to it, but only now am I really getting into it. I love that I can take it with me and work on the little pieces, and then come to the studio for assembly. I have always been a sucker for making small pieces for a larger whole.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Meet my new studio mate, housemate, and "child". His name is Achilles, and he came to us, because a friend could no longer have him. We are delighted to have this little guy, it seems just right. We have looked and looked for a dog, and it just hasn't happened and then this little guy became available and we knew it was right.

He would not stay still long enough for a proper photo, I had just walked in the door and he was very excited. However normally he is very calm and asleep in one of his beds most of the time. I am so thankful that his owners gave him to us and trusted us with giving him a good home. We are doing everything to get him used to us and the house, and the surroundings. So far, so good.

These Dahlia's are from my garden, they are lovely, big fluffy and just the right amount of yellow. They seem to be thriving at the moment.

This month seems to have snuck up on me, it seems as if the summer just began, and here we are September upon us. It is still warm out, of course, it is Richmond it will not get really cold until December. I love this time of year, when fall is so close, because that means that fall will soon be here. I have been spending quiet mornings in the studio, making, thinking, being. I feel an accomplishment from this summer... I have been making, mostly quilting, piecing, and such, pattern based design. A few years ago I would have not been proud of this work, but I turned a leaf and am happy to be making and using my hands just about everyday. Sometimes it is not always about conceptual making, sometimes the making is just as important, and perhaps the other things will come out of it.... well there I go rambling again, I guess that is partly why people have blogs, so that they can ramble their thoughts, experiences, findings.... It is a good way to catalogue the times that pass, and how we get from point A to point B.

My mother had a birthday yesterday, and what does one give the woman who has everything, including a bee hive and some chickens.... Well how about a bee-hive inspired pin cushion or two. Along with a couple of other little gifts, I gave her this pincushion. I must admit it is my favorite I have made so far. The hexagons just lend themselves to this kind of thing, and the fabrics worked out well. I included a tiny one too, because my mom usually has a couple of projects going and a bag full of tools and a little place on her side of the sofa. So now she has one no matter where she is working. It was about time she got a new one, considering she was using the one's we made her when we were in grade school.

My view out of the studio, I love the light in this room, it is just perfect and this time of the year it seems that every yellow flower is blooming out there.

About Me

I think it began with the box of crayons and playdough I was given as a child. The colors and smell of it, had me hooked. Some of the first memories I have include "making" in one medium or another. Sometimes it was some stones and dirt to make a "house" in the woods, other times it was a marker to color my Barbie's hair with. Ever since then I have never been able to stop my hands, my mind, my eyes from thinking, feeling and acting as an artist.
I graduated with a BFA from VCU in 2005. I majored in crafts with an emphasis in textiles. While fiber will always seduce me, I use different mediums depending on the project. At the present time I am back in my studio getting focused, and letting myself be vulnerable enough to make raw, un-edited work. Textiles is traditional "women's work" and I am doing everything in my power to make it "a contemporary women's point of view".